Latest with M-NCPPC, Md. State Legislature

The M-NCPPC votes unanimously not to sign off on the P3 proposal

The Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) voted 9-0 on November 20 to reject Governor Hogan’s P3 proposal to add toll lanes to I-495 and I-270. M-NCPPC ’s vote is important because it controls parkland that MDOT needs for the highway expansion.

The M-NCPPC commissioners repeated comments from their previous meeting in June that they need more information about the plan’s finances and environmental impacts. They also insisted that significant transit options be included in any proposal. 

Following the meeting, there was even discussion that local officials might sue to prevent the State from acquiring public parkland. 

Meanwhile, Lisa Choplin, the SHA project director, said the rejection would not prevent the toll plan from moving forward.

For more information, read Citizens Against Beltway Expansion (CABE) commentary on DW270 (edited for length) or the November 21 CABE commentary (additional discussion).
 

Dontwiden270.org Recent Legislative Conversations 

Dontwiden270.org leaders have been meeting with state legislators in anticipation of the opening of the Maryland General Assembly on January 8, 2020. 

On November 19, Don’t Widen 270 and officials from the city of Rockville held a meeting withDelegate Kumar Barve, Chair of the HouseEnvironment and Transportation Committee. We emphasized that Governor Hogan's flawed P3 plan is not only an important issue for his constituents but also a threat to the state’s fiscal and economic health.

  • Delegate Barve stated that his staff is investigating what legislation would be feasible under existing P3 law. There was also considerable discussion about financing issues.

  • Also, Delegate Barve said he was working with Delegate Marc Korman to find out whether anything can be done about the P3 through the Legislature’s budget authority.

November 20 was the annual Joint House and Senate Priorities Hearing of theMontgomery County Delegationto the General Assembly. A number of Donwiden270 membersgave testimony opposing the Governor’s P3 plan. Legislators were asked to support bills that would prevent this plan from going forward.


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Have a Question or Comment? Want a speaker for your community?

E-mail us at contactdontwiden270@gmail.com.

A Bridge Too Far? Maryland and Virginia Announce Partnership to Widen the American Legion Bridge, Adding More Confusion to the 495-270-P3 Project

On November 12, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced a partnership to rebuild and widen the American Legion Bridge. The agreement states that Virginia will help pay for the project even though most of the Bridge belongs to Maryland.

The exact design of new bridge is far from finalized. The actual details still need to be worked out by the Departments of Transportation in both states.

The announcement is opaque. Governor Hogan’s and Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn’s actual intentions and MDOT’s immediate and long-range plans and schedules are entirely unknown. 

How will this agreement affect the proposed P3 plan? It seems that the tollways would be added to I-495, I-270, and the American Legion Bridge at the same time.And this changes what the Board of Public Works (BPW) approved. 

At their June 5 meeting. the BPW approved an amendment added at Governor Hogan’s request to widen the southern segment of I-270 ahead of widening the Beltway or the American Legion Bridge. 

This BPW-approved plan, addressing 270 first, was impractical. It would lead to increasing congestion at the American Legion Bridge, already one of the largest traffic bottlenecks in the region.  

The BPW now needs to vote on the new proposal before contracts can be developed. It is currently unknown when this will be placed on the BPW agenda.

Their vote will force more information to be revealed on the actual details of the plan. These details will appear in the background agenda package that will be put together for the BPW review.  

How you can help

Dontwiden270.org, along with our partner organizations, will have to rethink our approaches and strategies to confront the Governor’s new P3 plan as the details emerge.

We will keep you informed and let you know how you can help once we have more details

Learn more

  • Refer to the Dontwiden270.org Media Archives tab for additional information on the announcement and its implications.

  • See Citizens against Beltway Expansion (CABE)’s November 13 blog, “Relaunch of Luxury Lanes," which discusses why the risks, costs, and obstacles of the P3 plan are unchanged as a result of this agreement.

    • The CABE commentary also explains why the BPW needs to require an independent analysis of the proposal’s fiscal and financial data.

Joint Maryland House and Senate Priorities Meeting

  • When: Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.

  • Where: Montgomery County Council Hearing Room (Third floor), 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville MD

This hearing is your opportunity to present issues of concern to our county delegation in Annapolis. It is our chance to tell our legislators about the work we want them to do. 

  • Show up and let our legislators know that you are opposed to Governor Hogan’s plan.

  • Speak out. Give testimony. Our information sheet explains how to testify at a Montgomery County Delegation hearing and includes a sample legislative testimony template.


MDOT Briefing to Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC)

  • When: Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m.

  • Where: MNCPPC Headquarters, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD

MDOT will provide updates on the Interstate 495 and Interstate 270 Managed Lanes Study to the 10-member governing body of the MNCPPC. The meeting agenda will focus on MDOT’s analysis of the MD 200 (ICC) Diversion Alternative added to the preliminary alternatives for review to determine whether to include it as an alternative retained for detailed study (ARDS). Discussion will also include potential revisions to the ARDS.

The meeting is open to the public, but no testimony will be taken. The briefing will be streamed live at MontgomeryPlanningBoard.org.

 

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Raise your voice and draw attention to Dontwiden270 with these colorful, two-sided yard signs!   Order here.

Coming soon: Joint Maryland House and Senate Priorities Meeting

The Montgomery County Delegation to the General Assembly will hold its Joint Priorities Hearing on Nov. 20. This is your opportunity to present issues of concern to our county delegation in Annapolis. Show up and let our legislators know that you are opposed to Governor Hogan’s plan. 

We will be sending you further information about participating in this meeting as well as information for those who wish to testify. Watch for details.

  • When: Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.

  • Where: Montgomery County Council Hearing Room (Third floor), 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville MD

Why is this hearing important?
It is our chance to tell our legislators about the work we want them to do, such as passing bills that can become laws. For example, we can support their efforts for oversight of this project.

To date, the governor's plan to add toll lanes to I-270 has barreled along without legislative oversight. Requests for information, such as sharing the source data of their transit models, have been rejected.  

How You Can Be Part of the Legislative Process
Because the legislative process is long and involved, there are lots of opportunities for all of us to take part. That means keeping informed and speaking out.  Dontwiden270.org will be posting information about pending bills and how you can help influence their passage.

To be effective citizen advocates opposing this expensive boondoggle that will not relieve traffic congestion, we need to understand how Maryland’s legislative process works.  

An in-depth description of the Maryland State Legislature can be found at Your State Legislature: an Overview.

Here are the basics

Maryland’s state Legislature is called the General Assembly. It has an upper chamber (Senate) and a lower chamber (House of Delegates). There are 47 population-based legislative districts. The General Assembly meets for 90 days each year, beginning in January. During this time, the legislators act on hundreds of proposed bills. 

The legislative leaders—the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House— hold two of the most powerful positions in State Government. They assign legislation to committees and appoint committee members. 

Much of the work takes place in the committees and their subcommittees, including several of particular interest to Dontwiden270.org:  

Learn more about how bills become laws in Maryland at Your State Legislature: an Overview.   

Update: MDOT Road Show raises new questions 

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) held its annual meeting  on November 4 to present its six-year budget for transportation projects and programs to Montgomery County legislators. MoCo state delegates, senators, and county officials peppered the agency with questions about MDOT's $11 billion plan to expand I-495/I-270 for Luxury Lanes and its decision to nix mass transit in the state's six-year consolidated transportation plan.

For more information about the meeting, read the Citizens Against Beltway (CABE) review on the CABE Connection tab of Dontwiden270.org. This review includes important information on MDOT’s refusal to provide the public with the “origin and destination” data it's using to make decisions on its plan to expand the Beltway and I-270.

More November 4 MDOT road show coverage: